“I think it’s a careful dance because, obviously, she wants to stay constructive, at least as far as health care,” said a Democratic insider close to the House leaders. “For them to come around and, all of a sudden, order an ‘audit’ of the White House political operation, including the party committees, is laughable. At least they’re starting in the right place because the White House political operation is a disaster. Everybody, including the White House, is acknowledging that.”

“The president himself, when that was brought up in one group, said, ‘Well, the big difference here and in ’94 was you’ve got me,’” Berry told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “We’re going to see how much difference that makes now.”

Emanuel, several Senate and House aides said, hasn’t been shy about assigning blame, either. He’s been especially critical of moderate senators, including Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), for wasting months negotiating with Republican senators, such as his friend Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

While shouldering some of the blame for the Massachusetts debacle, Emanuel has reportedly criticized Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Menendez of New Jersey — and, on occasion, even Reid himself.

Reid and his staff were infuriated when they got word Emanuel was apparently telling associates the majority leader did too little to force Baucus to accelerate his work, according to two people familiar with the situation.

A White House official said that account “couldn’t be further from the truth,” adding that the Emanuel-Reid relationship “couldn’t be closer.”

And if there’s any consolation for Obama, Pelosi and Reid, it’s that the bonfire of their expectations seems to illuminate the general path ahead: Dispense with health care as quickly as possible to focus on job creation and deficit reduction.

“They understand that tearing each other down is going to tear the whole party down,” said a senior House Democratic aide.

Readers' Comments (1071)

Jay-sus, Politico, how how much overtime did your staff have put in to find that fugly picture of the Speaker of the House? You couldn't Photoshop something worse that that! That's absolutely the only picture you could possibly come up with for the lead on your website, nothing else in your archives would do? Gee, no bias here, eh?

John Grey, Green Party Candidate to represent Arkansas against the Senator from Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blanche Lincoln.

There is no reason for any democrat to vote for Blanche Lincoln, unless you think Blue Cross is under represented in the Senate and Arkansas doesn't need representation in the Senate.

Come to beautiful Northwest Arkansas and work for John Grey. You can take breaks to fly fish for rainbow trout in the pure Ozark mountain streams. Help him win the Fayetteville area, then Blanche will be history.

The Blue Cross Senator can't win Arkansas without a large margin in Fayetteville.

For starters, this is the party that in January, 2008, gave Iowa primary voters the choice of Dodd, Edwards, Richardson, Biden, Obama and HRC. The first three had ethical problems that would have prevented them ever becoming President. Biden is the idiot who advocated partitioning Iraq and who had previously been rejected by Iowa voters in a prior campaign because of his unstable nature. Obama had no experience. And, HRC is now the most popular of the bunch.

Next, this party allowed itself to be taken over by gangs of thugs who intimidated elderly and female participants in Red State caucus events from Idaho to Texas (where party machinery was virtually non-existent and easy to commandeer). As a result, normal voters in large Blue State Primaries were disenfranchised in favor of young thugs who could intimidate and "out last" elderly and female caucus participants in Red States where Obama had not the slightest hope of getting November Electoral College votes. So, now it is a surprise that elderly voters flocked to the polls in Massachusetts determined to be heard. Their votes would not be ignored this time.

Finally, this party did nothing to bring about reform of anything. It let the insurance industry write the Health Reform Bill, then loaded it up with Pork for the likes of Ben Nelson and all the other Senators who were bought and paid for by the insurance industry. All the talk by Obama back in Iowa about how stupid old people are and how all his predecessors were dumb as a box of rocks and how he was going to have Republican support for "Change We Can Believe In" is now seen for what it is: flim flam.

The Mistake of '08 was not a result of racial politics. It was a result of disrespect for seniors, contempt for more experienced predecessors, misogynism, prejudice in favor of youthful good looks, and above all, arrogance and snobbery. It was the typical age old routine of handsome, cool looking young man pushing aside his elders and any woman who might get in the way.

There is a hierarchy of prejudice. At the bottom of the totem pole are old people. Next come women. Next come sexy young men. A sexy young man will always beat a woman or an old man. That is the real story of prejudice in this country.

Now sexy Chris Brown has made Obama look like last year's Cosmo Centerfold. Obama is envious. He has a fit of pique. He can't help making snippy remarks about Chris Brown's pickup truck. Obama is the discarded sex symbol of the past, and. . .

H E L L hath no fury like a scorned sex symbol.

So, in summary, the Democratic Party served up a poisonous stew of unworthy candidates, failed to police it's nomination process to assure that all voices were heard, let a poseur become President, and proved that so many of its Senators are owned by the lobbyists that no meaningful reforms are possible.

The Democrat Party must never again be trusted to present leadership options to Americans.

America would be better off if the Democrat Party ceased to exist. Without it, the differing mainstream points of view could be hashed out during Republican Primaries, which would become the equivalent of a multi-party system. The general election would be one last chance for voters to consider a third party opponent before confirming the Primary results.

As long as there is a Democrat Party, there will be the illusion that someone is looking out for the people. Now that the toadies on the Supreme Court has transferred control of the process of "Manufacturing Consent" and propaganda in America to domestic corporate subsidiaries of foreign governments and international corporations, the two party system will be even more useless than before.

Dump the Democrat Party. Vote in the Republican Primary. If you don't like the result of the Republican Primary, then join or form a third party in time for the November election. We have the technology. We can do this. We can take our country back.

"And if there’s any consolation for Obama, Pelosi and Reid, it’s that the bonfire of their expectations seems to illuminate the general path ahead: Dispense with health care as quickly as possible to focus on job creation and deficit reduction."

No. The bonfire of voter outrage is illuminating the direct path ahead for their involuntary retirement the next time they stand for election.

Oh. that's right --- Pelosi will never be kicked out by San Francisco. Well, she'll enjoy hanging out only with her staff since chances are excellent that she may be the only democrat in the House.

And Marion Berry sounds like he may be making his own sign and showing up at Tea Parties.

He should have followed the example of his President and just held dog-and-pony town halls so that he could have remained in ignorant bliss . . . until the roof crashed down "unexpectedly."

There is justice in American politics, especially once the American people are stirred to action.

Pelosi is a dog, but I don't blame her for being P.O.d at the White House. Obama has been a very bad leader and has wasted the biggest majority the Democratic party is likely to ever have. And it's not his butt on the line, and he's been dismissive of the risks the congresscritters have had to take. Those votes on Cap and Trade and Health Care will sink many loyal members and they won't even have bills that passed.